OU defended their position on a piece of donated art that one family says was taken from them during WWII.

OU defended their position on a piece of donated art that one family says was taken from them during WWII.

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Updated: 7:48 PM CDT Mar 19, 2014

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WEBVTT LAWMAKERS ARE LEANING ON THE UNIVERSITY. THEY WANT TO KNOW "WHY" THEY WON'T RETURN IT. GOOD EVENING. I'M PAUL FOLGER. AND I'M JESSICA SCHAMBACH. THE UNIVERSITY IS KEEPING THE ART DESPITE BEING SUED. KOCO'S KIM PASSOTH IS COVERING OUR BIG STORY AT SIX. THAT'S RIGHT ONE REPRESENTATIVE EVEN ACCUSED THE UNIVERSITY OF DESPERATELY TRYING TO HOLD ON TO THE PRICEY PAINTING AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE BUT DURING 45 MINUTES OF QUESTIONING O-U'S ATTORNEY DID NOT BACK DOWN. SOT: shawnae Robey/ Associate General Council, OU clip 15 - 57:14 if you have something that it stolen -you don't give it back to just anyone :22 THE IS THE PRICEY PAINTING AT THE CENTER OF THE DEBATE AN 1886 OIL PAINTING BY CAMILLE PISSARO ENTITLED "SHEPHERDESS BRINGING IN SHEEP." IT'S NOW ON DISPLAY AT O-U'S FRED JONES JUNIOR MUSEUM OF ART. BUT A FRENCH FAMILY SAYS IT SHOULD BE BACK IN THEIR HOME. HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR LEONE MEYER CONTACTED O-U IN DECEMBER 2012 CLAIMING THE ART WAS STOLEN FROM HER FATHER DURING THE NAZI OCCUPATION IN WORLD WAR II. THE UNIVERSITY SAYS IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT IF HER CLAIM WAS LEGITIMATE WHEN MEYER FILED SUIT IN FEDERAL COURT IN NEW YORK. O-U SAYS THEY WILL FILE A MOTION TO DISMISS THE CASE THIS WEEK DUE JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES AND 11TH AMENDMENT VIOLATION. THE 11TH AMENDMEMT PROHIBITS FOREIGN CITIZENS FROM SUING A STATE. THE SCHOOL SAYS IT HAS AN OPEN OFFER TO MEET MEYER IN PARIS TO DISCUSS THE MATTER AND ARE STILL WORKING TO DETERMINE IF SHE IS ENTITLED TO THE PAINTING. SOT: TODAY BEFORE A HOUSE PANEL THE UNIVERSITY DEFENDED ITS POSITION. REP. MIKE REYNOLDS - AN OU GRADUATE FROM CLEVELAND COUNTY LEAD THE PROBE. HIS QUESTION WHY CAN'T THE UNIVERSITY SIMPLY GIVE IT BACK - O-U SAID IT WANT TO AVOID SETTING A PRECEDENT OF GIVING AWAY ART TO ANYONE WHO CLAIMS IT. Clip 15 - 57:55 we are faced everyday with frivolous lawsuits - I don't know whether this is a frivolous lawsuit or not 57:59 THE PAINTING WAS DONATED TO THE O-U FOUNDATION AS PART OF AN ENDOWMENT OF MORE THAN 30 ARTWORKS. REPRESENTATIVES QUESTIONED IF O-U LOOSES THE LAWSUIT IF OTHERS COULD LAY CLAIM TO OTHER PAINTINGS IN THE FUTURE. LIVE AT THE CAPITOL KP KOCO 5 NEWS.

OU attends hearing on Nazi art lawsuit

OU defended their position on a piece of donated art that one family says was taken from them during WWII.